Saint Vitus

Saint Vitus

SAINT VITUS are the godfathers of American Doom Metal. A statement weighing as heavy as this band sounds. Nonetheless this is simply the truth.

Therefore it is an event of historic proportions in the world of Heavy Metal that after seventeen years since the release of "Die Healing" (1995) SAINT VITUS now return with their eighth full-length masterpiece "Lillie: F-65". This album includes the trademark song writing style so beloved by SAINT VITUS fans: There is the cataclysmic and unmistakable guitar sound of co-founder Dave Chandler full of reverbs, feedbacks, flanger and apocalyptic distortion leading to amazing and magical solos. "Lillie: F-65" is furthermore graced with the deeply resonant vocals of Scott "Wino" Weinrich who returns to record an album with the band for the first time since the glorious "V" (1989) and whom many consider to be the classic SAINT VITUS vocalist. Doom adepts will delight in the honey slow dripping of notes and the sudden energetic outbursts, which are as painfully depressing as sweet.

The already legendary story of SAINT VITUS began in the year 1978, when guitarist Dave Chandler, together with Armando Acosta on drums and bass player Mark Adams, started rehearsing. After trying out two other singers, the band finally settled for vocalist Scott Reagers under the designation TYRANT. In August 1979 the quartet played their first show and in 1980 their name was finally changed to SAINT VITUS. Reportedly this move was inspired by the BLACK SABBATH song "St. Vitus' Dance", taken from the "Volume 4" album (1972).
The English founders of Heavy Metal were as much an influence on SAINT VITUS as US Hardcore Punk heroes BLACK FLAG. The latter's leader Greg Ginn even signed SAINT VITUS on his label SST Records. After at least two years of local West Coast punk shows the band even embarked on their first tour with BLACK FLAG in December 1984.

The eponymous debut album "Saint Vitus" had been released in the same year and was quickly followed by the second full-length "Hallow's Victim" (1985) and an EP entitled "The Walking Dead" (1985). With Thrash Metal on a furious rise, the ultra-heavy sound of SAINT VITUS was mainly enjoyed by connoisseurs of Doom and a dedicated underground following. This might have been one of the reasons for Scott Reagers to part from the band in 1986. His unexpected move turned out to be hardly a problem for the band as they recruited Scott "Wino" Weinrich from THE OBSESSED, who is considered as the ultimate voice of SAINT VITUS by a clear majority of their adherents.